Bond Arms Snake Slayer (.45 LC / .410ga)
Kim du Toit
March 2, 2007
6:00 AM CDT
I have opined about this platform before, but I didn’t really talk too much about it.
The role of the Derringer-style pistol is a long and much-treasured one in American history. It has been the favored hideout weapon for many, and I have to say, I regret bitterly having sold mine a couple of years ago.
My biggest gripe about the Derringers is that the grips are tiny, and make recoil control very problematic. Well, Bond Arms seems to have addressed this problem with their “Snake-Slayer” model:
Compared to the usual style, this model’s grip is somewhat elongated, and this is a Good Thing.
Now let me address one of the more common apprehensions about the Derringers: that of recoil, especially in the larger calibers like the one pictured.
One would think that in a small gun, recoil from a .45 Colt cartridge (and more so with the .410ga) would just about throw the gun out of your hand. Not so. In fact, while the recoil is pronounced, the short barrel of the gun means that the bullet/shot has already left the barrel almost before the recoil sets in: in other words, the recoil will be stiff, but not much more than firing the same cartridges out of a medium-frame revolver.
As I said in the earlier GGP, this gun is best described as an “under the chin” gun, where recoil (and for that matter accuracy) can best be described as an academic issue. I promise you: if you have to pull your Bond Arms gun in self-defense, the last thing you’ll notice will be the recoil.
The snake (human or reptilian), however, will notice a profound change in its physiology, and will reconsider its career options, if it can.
Bond Arms makes an excellent piece: it’s heavy (more recoil absorption) and reliable. From a safety perspective, the hammer requires a massive effort to cock it, and the trigger has about a ten-pound pull, so accidental discharges would be a result of stupidity, not any other reason. This model costs about $500 new, and of course, the nice thing about the Bond Arms derringers is that you can buy other barrels in different chamberings if the .45 Colt is not to your liking. Last time I looked, you can get barrels for .357 Mag/.38 Spec, 9mm, 10mm, .45 ACP, .32 H&R Mag, .44 Mag/.44 Spec, .44-40, .40 S&W, and .22 LR, as well as a couple of specialty calibers like .357 Max and .45 Glock.
If you can’t accommodate your caliber preference out of that list, I’m afraid I can’t help you.
Final thought: if this is going to be your anti-snake (actual reptile) remedy, I would seriously consider loading it with large-caliber shot shells (see below).
The recoil is considerably less, and the shot spread out to ten feet is quite impressive—more than enough to make dead meat out of Eve’s little buddy.
Gratuitous Gun Pics
